Making Carers Count project 

 

Our Making Carers Count project aims to help under-represented Carers across Northamptonshire to access the support they need to live their lives. 

 

Northamptonshire Carers are transitioning into an organisation that actively supports Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) Carers. We are achieving this by listening to our GEM Carers and embedding the changes through the vision and values of the organisation.  We are not shy to discuss the complexities of inclusivity and will continue to listen to the voices of our Community, Staff and Carers to make change happen.   

 

Making Carers Count is a new type of project.  It is not uncommon to find organisations begin initiatives but often once the funding has ended so does the initiative. Making Carers Count aims to have an enduring legacy of progressive anti-racist, anti-discriminatory thinking by supporting and training staff to embed inclusivity in everything they do. Today, tomorrow and always. 

 

We have a rolling program of recruitment.  Northamptonshire Carers is under-represented by those from our diverse communities.  We value and encourage those from these communities to bring their skills, knowledge and lived experience to a career with us.   

 

Making Carers Count cannot do it alone.  We understand the importance to improve the way in which we work and are actively linking with local organisations within our GEM communities so we can work together to support those in need.   The Covid pandemic has highlighted health inequalities particularly for our Black and Asian communities.  For example, Making Carers Count is working closely with the ICAN service (Integrated Care Across Northamptonshire) to develop the pathway to our Dementia Hubs to ensure inclusivity for all of our community.  The ICAN service now hold a Hub at the Sikh Community Centre in Northampton.  We would like to hear from all communities and we can come to you. 

 

Making Carers Count is currently identifying an unmet need for support from our GEM Carers and are proactively taking steps to engage with our reconnected Carers to discuss and listen to their needs.  

 

In 2022 Northamptonshire Carers were the first organisation in the county to receive Race Equality Matters, Bronze Trailblazer status for our work to address race-inequality.  We have been busy rolling out staff workshops in the organisation where staff are encouraged to make their Big Promise commitments to be pro-actively anti-racist.  This is an organisation-wide approach to remove prejudice and unconscious bias within our organisation. You can read more about that further down the page, alongside the MyNameIs campaign. 

 

We are listening.  Please get in touch.  We would like to hear your ideas, suggestions or if you can spare a few hours come and volunteer with the Making Carers Count project to help make a difference to our communities.    

On-Going Projects

Northamptonshire Carers are striving to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and to identify and support under-represented unpaid Carers.   A new project funded by Making Carers Count, a Carers Trust partnership programme supported by the Covid-19 Support Fund.  The Making Carers Count project aims to increase diversity and inclusivity within our organisation, our services we provide and to raise staff awareness of the needs of those who look after others as unpaid carers from under-represented communities. to read more click the banner below.

External Resources

Carers UK Black Asian Minority Ethnic Briefing 2023 PDF - Click to Download

Events in Video

Making Carers Count Project Update
The first of 3 sessions to update our Reconnected Carers about our Making Carers Count project. Inform about up and coming events, Carer Support Payments, the importance of having a Carers Assessment and our brand-new Living Well with Sickle Cell course for professionals, Carers and Sickle Cell Warriors.

Race Equality Week - Show and Tell with Camden Carers	BHM Book Club	We are Northamptonshire Carers Film
We teamed up with Camden Carers to deliver a Zoom Event involving carers talking about items in there life that provide an insight into their upbringing.	a very interesting zoom group talking about books and other media relating to Black History Month	A short film created by a local film creator, Ellie Wickes the film focuses around the organisation and what its like to work for.

Learning Lunch 8th June 2022	Exposed - a nurses narrative" - 18th October 2022	Councillor Imran Chowdhury Joins us for a Chat
Attendees of the event included professionals within the community who during their day may encounter those who have a Caring Role. The event was to particularly raise the awareness of Carers from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities and also those who have a Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) heritage. Importance was raised about understanding how to identify the needs of GRT and GEM Carers and the steps Northamptonshire Carers are making to become a more inclusive organisation not only for Carers using the service as well as staff and those considering employment with the charity. This included our commitment to The Big Promise and My Name is the phonetic spelling of people’s names.	Recording of the Event from the 18th October, including the We are Northamptonshire carers film and the Film Exposed - nurses narratives	Councillor Imran Chowdhury, joining us to talk about growing up Bangladeshi and how to break social barriers in modern day Caring